[OP: "Pale White Horse"-- The Oh Hellos]

Meanwhile Shine was giving Dabi a very stern look.

"I don't need to remind you," she said, "that you get leeway here partially because you are older than most of them and we can't treat you like a child--and partially because we make allowances for you not having a good role model for so many years and having to start at the bottom. However, I know you're capable of acting better than this, if you want to. So what's the deal?"

"I just made a little joke." Dabi shuffled. "What do you expect me to do?"

"I know," Shine said. "You want to be the bad guy, right? Mr. Edgelord."

"Okay, Shine, for real, when you say that it just takes all the coolness out of that term," Dabi said. "It's like if a teacher tried to use street slang in class."

"I find that charming, actually, but whatever." Shine didn't much care. "You know you don't scare me or Wally, so what's with the attitude here? Can you not speak to me clearly?"

"What do you want me to say? I don't really like kissing up to people."

"Is it kissing up to people to show them a little courtesy or compassion?"

"It's not really my style." With a frown.

"Make it your style then. You know you're not exempt from our standards of living. We only cut you slack because you've had less time and training in them, but you're not a crazy lunatic with a chip on his shoulder anymore, however much you try to act like one. You were healed--isn't it time to act like it?"

"So, what, I can't be myself?"

"What is yourself?" Shine replied roundly. "Is it this? Just someone who cuts down everyone else but doesn't try to improve himself? I really shouldn't have to talk to you about this, since you're 25 and I'm younger than you. It's a little awkward for me to need to say all this to someone who should know it already. But you've really left me no choice."

"Is this about protecting Sasuke?" Dabi asked directly. "You're worried about his sensitive feelings."

"If it was?" Shine didn't back down from that the way many people would have if accused of taking it easy on a person everyone else held in so much suspicion.

"I just think you can't expect me to share your concern for that punk," Dabi said.

"I know you share more of it than the others do, in your way," Shine said. "You have so much in common, and I'm sure that you are rooting for him to completely climb out of this pit he's dug himself into."

"Yeah, well, he's showing some progress," Dabi said. "But I don't know if that thing in Stone really was what you might think. Trust me, it could have been for selfish reasons."

"I know," Shine said. "I really haven't asked him what it was for. He tried to make some excuses and lectured me on taking stupid risks. Whatever you make of that. But I feel I don't need to repeat all that to you."

"He made excuses?" Dabi said. "Heck, maybe he was worried about you. Hey, isn't that sweet? Now I want to throw up."

"Do you? Is it so bad to care about me? Why are people so embarrassed to admit it?"

"Because you bust our chops, and admitting that we like it would be weird," Dabi replied. "And I actually don't like it that much. No one does."

"No...well, I don't actually enjoy it either," Shine said. "Do you know how exhausting it is to be the supervisor for so many people, many of whom are tempestuous, rowdy teenagers who have low self awareness and high self-centeredness because that's just how teens are?" [With exceptions.]

"You signed up for this," Dabi said.

"Does it escape your notice that just as you all are assigned to these things, so am I?" Shine said with the cutting sarcasm that had initially made Dabi take her more seriously to begin with.

It had the same affect on him now.

Shine went on. "If you asked me: Shine, do you want to be in charge of 20+ teenagers again, while doing dangerous stuff and being on the road, do you think I would have said 'yes, that's my dream vacation!"

Dabi almost wanted to laugh but wasn't sure he should with the way she was glaring at him.

"And on top of that," Shine said in a fake excited voice. "You want one of them to be a terrorist with massive trauma and issues so far gone that no one else has even want to scratch the surface of them? That sounds fun, right? And on top of that, your older students can't be expected not to start beef with newer ones, and we can add in you almost getting rocked in the face over some rumors, because that's another thing I needed for this world's bingo book!"

Dabi flinched a little at her tone.

"So yeah you know what, I signed up for this," Shine said. "But I don't get a brochure on what the challenges of each mission will be. Some of this is just as much of a surprise to me as you, and I hang on by the skin of my teeth at times. I have the Spirit to help me, and I have Wally, and that's why I haven't had a breakdown in all this time. But if you think putting one last straw on this camels' back is helping one bit, then sir, you've gravely misjudged the situation. And while I never want to play this card, if you did respect me or care about me in the least or feel the least bit grateful for what I've tried to do for you, you would be concerned about my well-being enough to listen when I say you're going too far.

"So I just make everything worse," Dabi got defensive real fast. "Is that it?"

Shine paused. "Where did that come from?" She said in a more neutral tone.

"Forget it," Dabi could be a real child about this.

"Explain yourself or don't bring it up," Shine frowned. "Now."

"Just something people have said," Dabi shuffled. "Not that I care."

"Sounds like you do."

"What would I do about it? I make everything worse is kind of my life's motto."

"I see," Shine said. "This ha to do with your family, then? You only caused problems for them, that's what you think."

She hit the nail right on the head.

Shine softened. "I don't think that's true. I think your family needs a wake up call and however ugly it was, you still provided it. I wish you and Shoto would see that to both wanted the same thing and that you don't need to compete anymore. You've always used the darker side of life to expose the injustice in the world, Touya...but you know it is okay to do that while on the lighter side too. It's also more effective. And more challenging, I'll give you that. But we have always believed that you were capable of more than being the bad guy."

She tugged her hair. "I have to believe that, because I was treated the same way in my family for so long, it's easy to play to it."

"You do play to it," Dabi said. "You think I Can't tell that's what all this getting on people's nerves and saying things that pisses them off is about? You can't fool me with that, I've done the same thing for too long."

"And that is why you've always understood me pretty well," Shine shrugged. "Yes, I do it too...but I have learned to be kind and gentle also when I need to be. It was uphill work, but I did it because I didn't want the role I was put it to define me the rest of my life, do you?"

Silence. She had him there again.

"I don't need to talk down to you," Shine went on. "Because you understand. I don't think using quilt tripping will get me what I want, so the only question I have for you is can I count on you to support us or not? I thought we settled that before we come here, but if you don't want to do it, tell me."

"Oh that's a trap," Dabi grumbled. "Like I want to go back to house arrest hell."

"A lighter sentence that you could have gotten, remember."

"Still, it's so boring." Dabi said.

Then he sighed. "Fine, the straight truth? I guess I just don't see the point in even trying. My future is bleak. This world is killing time. I can't ever hope to have the kind of chance these Shinobi have to change their fricked up system. Maybe I envy that a little."

"But you have a chance to help them change this one," Shine said. "Do you measure success by only the world you live in?"

"You said yourself that that world is the one you impact the most," Dabi said. "If this is all that I get, it's saying that that's all I could do. There's a reason criminals stay in crime, because once you're in, you can't get out."

"I don't believe that. There are exceptions," Shine said. "But you have to believe that's possible. Or you will always act like a criminal. And, even if this was all our eer did...revolutionizing a world is no small thing. It's all the same to God, don't you think? Wherever we are, as long as we're doing His will, He'll reward that, in this life or the next. I think yours if far from over, but you keep thinking that way and that is what holds you back. I want you to have hope...In fact, I thought doing this would show you that there is hope. That you can still amougn to something,...not that you have to to be valuable, but I know how important it is to you heroes to amount to something in life. And it's not an unworthy ambition to change the world for the better, it's always been mine. But I have also tried to learn to accept that changing the person's life right next to you is also important, sometimes that's the more important thing, strangely. You can't do that, no matter where you land--unless you're in solitary."

"Hmmpf, I might as well be."

"So use this then, because you want to be under house arrest for ever," Shine reminded him. "You can gan so much experience doing this, it speeds things up, trust me I know. I didn't get like this just by being smart, it's part of the way it works, you learn things faster this way, you acquire skills faster too. Wally has changed so much ever since I met him with how he's handled things. He's more...mature now in many ways, or that it brought out the side of him I always knew was there, but he never had cause to use. World walking doesn't remove your limits, but it makes you stronger in those limits than you ever would be in day to day living where you never have to try your hardest. And you will find the same thing will happen to you, Touya. Use it. Be grateful for it, remember that you've been chosen for something less than 1% of all people ever get a chance to do. Isn't that incredibly?"

Dabi shurgged. "But I'm still just the same guy. The same snarky, moody, unpleasant person as before."

"Maybe you are, I don't know that God is limited so much by our personalities," Shine didn't sound pitying. "But I doubt you really are the same now. You'll see when you go back, it always hits me more then. And maybe you always will be a little like this, but that's not a bad thing. People even like that about you. They just don't like that you're mean to them and judgmental. Lose that part and they won't care about the snarkiness nearly so much. That's not so much to ask, is it?"

"Not for you, maybe."

"Touya," Shine raised an eyebrow. "I was raised in church. Do you think that not being judgemental is easy for me." [I know I have some Christian readers--or maybe all of you are christuan--and hey, I'm just being honest. I'm not saying everyone in church is like this by any means, I'm not for that movement, but we've all met our share. To be fair, I've met just as many people outside of the church who are judgmental.]

Daib had to laugh at that. "Good point, I guess."

"I don't want to push too far," Shine added, with an air of wrapping up. "Are we clear?"

"I get it, you want me to start acting different," Dabi said. "And if I was better at being grateful, I probably would want to do that just to help you out. But even when I feel grateful, which isn't often, I can't act on it. I wouldn't get your hopes up too high...I guess I could try to make more of an effort, but that's about all I can say."

"For the record, I do see it when you are helping. Wally and I both do."

"I really don't care that much about West's opinion," Dabi said. "Though he's fine, I guess. I like you more."

"Ew, Touya don't flirt with me, I'm engaged," Shine said by way of lightening the mood.

"In your dreams!" Dabi shot back, with equal vigor. "And you should talk."

"I told you that was never my intention, I just don't have much experience with subtext, again, church girl," Shine held up her hands. "And that's probably not a bad thing, that's all you people talk about."

"Now I'm hurt," Dabi isad.

"Well, I'm flattered that you like me, but I'd rather that showed itself in some outward respect," Shine said.

"I respect you...both of you, I just..." Dabi sighed. "I've never shown that. Not to anyone."

"You must have, a long time ago."

"I can't go back to when I was more innocent," Dabi said. "If there was such a time."

"I suppose that's true, you need to find a new level. Not your childhood, not your recent past, something new. The fun part is, that can be a mix of many different things."

"Enough with the hope talk, you're making me feel sick," Dabi grumbled.

"Okay, fine, I'll stop." Shine said. "But for the record, even though you're a jerk, I do love you-platonically, and without frills."

"Do not expect me to say that back to you."

"I'll just take it as a good sign that you even thought it," Shine winked. "Bye."

She walked away.

* * *

"There it is," Kosame announced to them only a few hours later that day.

Ahead of them they saw the misty, fuzzy look of the sky when rain is falling far enough away where you can't hear it but the clouds seem to bleed into the ground below.

And in the fuzzy horizon they did see some faint, shadowy shapes that looked like buildings, but oddly built ones.

[Rain Village skyline. It was harder to find shots of this than you'd think.]

Over the next hour they got closer and began to be able to pick out the buildings and shapes.

It was more industrial-looking than the other villages, but you didn't see any smoke going out of the factories, except maybe one or two in the distance. There were no signs of life outside either. And of course, once they got close enough, the Rain began to fall on their heads.

[Rain Village street views.]

[Btw, for non-Boruto watchers, like me, I looked it up, and Rain Village isn't addressed in Boruto. So...yeah, apparently it just fell to ruin after Konan died... Isn't that just so typical of this show? It's really very dark.]

"Look at that," Momo gasped, staring. "It's...so..."

"Dead?" Camie said.

"I don't understand." Temari turned to the Rain Shinobi, who were starting to look uneasy. "You told us they invited us here, but I see no one at all."

"They'll be inside while it's raining," Kyuu said uncomfortably.

"I was sure they weren't lying before," Karin said, "but now they seem nervous. I think they hid something from us after all."

"I'm not going another step till you tell us." Temari stopped short and put her arm out to make sure Gaara stopped also.

Gaara would have liked to just get out of the rain that made him feel sluggish, but he stopped anyway and glanced at the shinobi.

Jakku didn't seem very concerned right now, but the other two shifted.

"We didn't lie," Kyuu said. "Mirai did invite you... We just didn't mention the state of the Village."

"I was expecting to hear that it was recovering from Pain's influence," Gaara said, "but I see no sign that it's even alive from here."

They were silent.

"Just what is it you brought us to?" Temari demanded. "Do you even have a place for us to stay?"

"Temari!" Shine said sharply.

Temari looked at her.

"Clearly they have extended their hospitality to us," Shine said in a voice that was a warning. "And you're not supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth, as the saying goes. You're being very rude right now. For shame. I'm sure this is just fine." She looked at the Rain three. "It's a lot like where I live, actually, with the tall buildings. I should feel right at home."

That was a gross exaggeration, since her home was California, and it rained maybe 20 days a year most years, and while LA might have been as rundown-looking as these streets in some areas, it was still shinier even from a distance than this place was.

But Shine managed to sound as if she really was looking at just another city, and her acting skills impressed her students, who were used to her blunt honesty.

Wally was right there with her though. "She's right, this is a lot like home," he said, somehow even more convincing than she did. "Central City has a lot of the same kinds of buildings. Do you guys have a city hall?"

"There is something like that..." Kyuu seemed to wonder if they were pulling his leg right now.

"That's great. I mean, we can learn more about here," Wally said, with a light smile. "And think, guys, we won't need sunscreen while we're here. That'll save us part of our daily routine."

"And we don't need sunglasses," Camie added, though it sounded like she might be being sarcastic, "so that's another good thing. Or like...bikinis or anything."

Sai had made an umbrella out of ink [he can do that, but I don't get how] and was holding it over Ino and Camie as well as himself, but he still managed to cast Camie an odd look.

"The good thing is--" Momo felt she should back them up. "--that this village is smaller than the others, so it won't take nearly as long to go anywhere."

"This really is putting lipstick on a pig," Tenten muttered.

"Do you have restaurants?" Choji asked amicably.

"One or two...used to be open," Kosame said uncertainly.

Temari swallowed. "Well, uh...Gaara, should we go right to this Mirai person?"

"Is that what you think we should do?" Gaara tried to regain his poise also, though he hadn't really lost it openly. He applied to the Rain shinobi.

"That's probably what she'd prefer, yes," Kyuu said. "And...I hope you won't mention to her that we got lost?"

"No reason to." Wally shrugged amiably. "It didn't hurt us any."

"Maybe this Mirai is kind of scary," Camie whispered to Bakugo, "if they're that worried about upsetting her."

"Eh, these people are like scared rabbits now that they're here," Bakugo said. "And this place gives me the creeps."

"It has...what do you call it, a vibe?" Shoto said, warily.

"Yeah, vibe check is not passed," Camie agreed.

"It was part of a cult," Dabi said, "remember? Pain had this whole place under his spell. That's really why the Rain never stops. The place is shrouded in darkness."

"Hush up." Shine looked at him. 

Dabi nodded.

"'The people in darkness have seen a great light,'" Shine quoted, more thoughtfully. "'Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.' [Isaiah 9:2] 'You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest... For the yoke of his burden and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken... For to us a child is born...and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.'" [Isaiah 9: 2-4, 6]

"What's that?" Kyuu asked her.

"It's a prophecy," Shine replied.

"A prophecy? You mean the future?" Kosame said.

"Some of it is the future, but in a way it has already happened also," Shine replied mysteriously.

Gaara expected this to annoy the Rain shinobi, after the way Stone had reacted, but instead they seemed rather impressed.

Gaara did not yet understand how little of the outside world they knew about, and that to be jaded and cynical for them was a very different experience than for the people he was used to.

"I wish this rain would clear up though," Naruto said. He didn't like it. He couldn't help but think this was where Jiraiya had died--and this was the last thing he must have seen.

Which was not quite true, but Naruto didn't know that.

"It will," Shine said.

"Yeah, it has to, right?" Wally agreed.

Not even five minutes later, the rain suddenly stopped falling.

Everyone looked up, surprised.

"Is it clearing up after all?" Kosame asked.

"It won't be for long," Jakku said sourly.

But right after that, the clouds parted overhead and the sun came through.

The sun made a vast difference in the appearance of the village. It lit up all the metal and glass in the buildings that were dingy grey and made the reflections brilliant. The streets sparkled like a new penny, and the landscape, while not very pretty, at least was less muted.

Everyone also could see better without the rain in their eyes, and they looked around, surprised.

But the Rain ninja gaped at them.

"This is an omen," Kosame said.

She already seemed like the superstitious type to them.

"We have a legend that it only stops raining when something good happens," Kyuu explained. "It's probably a foolish legend, but there are people who believe in it very strongly."

"Well, then we're good luck?" Wally said. "Though a friend of ours wouldn't like us using that word."

"Did I see things?" Sakura sounded ghostly. "Or did they just change the weather?"

"It sure looked like they did." Karin was awed. "But how could they?"

"Well, it's in the--" Momo began.

"Stop that. I'm tired of that being your reason for everything," Sakura said.

"But it is," Camie said.

"It could have been something else," Shoto said. "Or the heavens could have just done it as a sign to the village. It might not have been us."

"Either way, it's basically a sign for us, isn't it?" Dabi said. "That couldn't have been a coincidence... Well, maybe this won't be as bad as I was starting to think."

"That's right, Dabi, stay positive," Camie said.

Now, the rain stopping had another effect: All down the streets of the village, they could see, people came out of their dark, soaking wet homes and into the street to look up at the sky. Most of them had barely seen it a few times in years.

The sight of those people made the team sad. Even Sasuke, who didn't normally care that much about people, couldn't help but take note of how thin most of them were, and they looked sickly.

https://youtu.be/77eiuOWYZi0

[Les Miserables--"Look Down" (Beggars). Lyrics by Abby Seward]

The kids, and there were not many, were also very pale and gaunt, but they were pointing at the sky right now and tugging at their parents.

Most of the people there were youngish, no one over 50. It was likely those people had been killed off by Pain when he took over--anyone who might have harkened to a different way than his likely had been. 

Then, right after they came out, they noticed that there were newcomers there, and they all gawked at them.

Some of them ran inside right away, since this was new and frightening.

But only a few were brave enough to go up to Kosame, Jakku, and Kyuu and say, "These people your associates?"

"They're here on invitation." Kyuu seemed more nervous than before. "It will all be explained by the Council later."

"It better," said one not so friendly person.

Some of the team tried to smile at people, but they only got stony stares in response, or people turned away.

"They're pretty shy," Bakugo noted.

"I guess they've never seen anyone from the outside before," Camie said.

"The council building is this way." Kyuu gestured. "Please, give us some room."

People got out of the way real fast.

The sky remained unclouded, surprisingly, though that had never lasted more than a few minutes, generally, in Rain's history.

People stayed outside to gape at the sky and to murmer about the new arrivals.

"I feel less and less safe with them staring at us," Temari told Kankuro and Gaara.

"Staring at us is to be expected," Gaara said.

"We'll never blend in here," Kankuro said. "We're twice the size of most of the people. What do they eat?"

"I saw lakes out there, so maybe there's fish?" Temari said.

They walked over the puddles in the street using their chakra, but Camie and Momo stepped in them by accident before they noticed.

"Ah, man, my shoes," Camie said. "Yuck, they're sloshy."

Shoto froze over the offending puddle.

"You use ice?"' Kyuu said to him.

"Yeah?" he said. "So?"

"Nothing...just never heard of that," Kyuu said. "I thought it was crystal for a moment."

Shoto wondered why everyone was surprised he used ice.

Finally, the Rain guides stopped them at one of the tall buildings that had horrifying animal carvings along the side of it.

"This used to be Pain's building," Shine said.

They gave her a surprised look.

"Yes...but how did you know that?" Kosame said.

"I have my ways," Shine said cryptically. "However, Pain did some very corrupt things in this building, and I won't set foot in it, sorry."

"What?" Kyuu said. "You're refusing to enter it?"

"Unless it was to take a torch or some oil--or at least soap and water--and purify the place, then no, I won't hold meetings in somewhere someone did something so profane." Shine folded her arms. "Sorry, but they will have to meet us somewhere else."

"Shine," Gaara hissed at her, "you're going to offend them."

But in fact, this was not the case.

"I'll pass that on," Kyuu said. "Jakku, go tell them."

"Why do I have to?" Jakku asked.

The other two glared at him.

He sighed and went into the door.

"But, Shine, why does it matter so much?" Momo asked.

"Can't you feel that?" Shine shrugged, glaring at the building. "I wouldn't set foot in there for money. It should be destroyed--and all his twisted records, if he had any. What you have a shrine to matters. The high places needed to be destroyed in the Bible, to make sure that people didn't go back to idols, or they would as soon as one king died. Where you will go matters. What you will tolerate matters."

"I'm glad," Ino said. "I hate the sight of this building already." She didn't like the carvings.

It took at least 20 minutes (in which time the rain miraculously did not start up again, to the astonishment of the inhabitants), but finally Jakku reappeared and said the council would meet them in the city hall instead. Though City Hall was not used for meetings but records, according to Kosame.

They headed that way. It was just down the street.

Hinata and Hanabi also saw some shadowy figures leaving the building they'd just been at, springing over the other buildings and going towards the City Hall, so the council must be moving ahead of them.

Sure enough, when the reached City Hall-- which was just like all the other buildings except that it had a sign outside it that said it was City Hall and double doors--some people came out of the front to meet them.

The team figured out who had to be Mirai right away because only one of the people looked at all pleased to see them. And she was less darkly dressed than the others and also younger than most of them.

She must have been in her early thirties at the most, and she would have been a pretty woman if she wasn't so grey and undernourished, same as all the other people here were. Though she was not as thin as some of them.

[Mirai design made using LoveNikki.]

She was not wearing the Akatsuki uniform, and neither were any of the men, so that was a relief. She also wore no makeup. All business.

She at least did the proper bow to them.

The other people there appeared to be other council members. They were all men, but they were thin and lean and gray also. 

Mirai's identity was confirmed when Kyuu bowed to her and then said, "Lord Kazekage Gaara, this is Mirai-sama, Head Council of Rain Village. And these are the under council members, Seigi, Meiyo, Yoku, and Ayashi of Rain Village." [Seigi--"justice"] [Meiyo="honor"] [Yoku="greed"] [Ayashi=Suspicious]

"What an assortment," Suigetsu muttered in the background. 

"It's an honor," Gaara said politely.

"You are Lord Kazekage?" Mirai said.

Her voice startled them because it was so deep, though it was not raspy, but it had a throaty quality to it, as if perhaps the dampness in the air had given her a permanent cold. But they later found out that this was common to the natives of the village.

[Btw, weebs may know this already because there's an anime movie named Mirai, but her name means "future".]

"Yes." Gaara nodded.

"I did not expect you to be so young." Mirai apparently was a blunt person.

"We didn't expect you to be so young either," Wally joked.

He was talking out of turn, but none of them seemed to notice it was rude. Temari did glare at him though.

Mirai, however, didn't seem offended. "I suppose that's fair enough," she conceded. "I have to confess, I never anticipated you arriving so soon. We believed that your time in Stone would go for weeks longer, based on rumors..."

She hit that sore point right off, but no one wanted to let on.

"We finished there faster than we thought." Gaara chose the diplomatic answer.

"I see," Mirai said. "Well, it's just as well you arrived here now before the freezing rain starts, but...we're not fully ready for a group this size...and I suppose you must wonder why I invited you here."

"I think we got the why from them." Temari jerked her head at the three escorts. "I'm Temari of Sand, by the way. The Kazekage's aide."

"Oh, an honor," Mirai said quickly.

"I'm Kankuro, also an aide," Kankuro threw in.

Mirai nodded.

They introduced the others as quickly as they could--and didn't give her Sasuke or Naruto's last names, in case Rain held a grudge about that...and the escorts said nothing about it.

In fact, they'd never said anything about Sasuke at all, oddly enough.

None of the other councilmembers said a word, but Karin's sense of them was that two of them at least were very disappointed that they were here. She guessed Yoku and Ayashi to be those two. [I know the names are obvious, but so are the canon names, so whatever.]

"Would you like to come inside?" Mirai said. "It's going to start raining again at any moment."

"Maybe it won't," Shine suggested.

"But we'll come in." Gaara didn't like to stand out where everyone could see them like this.